


Waiting for You

by Seraph_Novak



Series: Destiel One-Shots [34]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Colleagues - Freeform, Crushes, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mechanic Dean, One Shot, POV Dean Winchester, Paranoid Dean, Protective Castiel, Sappy Ending, Secretary Castiel, Summer, everyone ships it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-11 13:15:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13525035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seraph_Novak/pseuds/Seraph_Novak
Summary: Dean and Castiel have been in love for three years. It's obvious to everyone - even themselves. But what if getting together ruins their friendship? What if they're too different? What if everything changes? There's only one way to find out, but neither one of them is brave enough to make the first move.





	Waiting for You

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! It feels so good to be writing frequently again. I had a bit of a dry spell a few months ago, but I'm back on the ball now. I do have a multi-chapter fic planned out (I'm revamping an old fic I started a couple years ago... Does anyone remember 'Michael's Angels'?) but I'm not sure when I'm going to start it. Hopefully soon! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this sappy one-shot for now! 
> 
> As always, all comments and kudos are very much appreciated. Thanks for reading ♥

The roads were quiet today, the air uncomfortably dry and hot. Dean pulled his shirt collar away from his neck and curled his bottom lip to blow cool air onto his face. The Impala groaned in the heat as he parked up alongside Singer’s Salvage Yard. He patted the dashboard, then stepped out onto the gravelled driveway. The sun was really beaming down; he had to shield his eyes with the back of his arm as he closed the car door and trudged over to the office. He had a few minutes to kill before he started on the old truck out back, and hanging in the office with Cas was always an easy way to pass the time. The fact that he had a raging crush on the guy had nothing to do with it. Nothing at all.

“Morning, Dean,” Cas greeted him from behind the counter as he walked in. He’d already started on the morning paperwork. “It’s rather hot today, isn’t it?”

Dean snorted. “Fucking  _boiling_ , is what is. Cars are gonna fry in this weather.”

“Do you think there will be a lot of break-downs today?"

“Yeah, probably. Folks tend to take their families out when it’s hot like this – down to the beach and stuff, ya know? Most of them don’t even know they’re over-heating their cars. It’s pretty damn dangerous, if you think about it.”

Cas hummed. “Well, don’t go working yourself too hard. Remember to take plenty of water with you if Bobby sends you out.”

“You looking out for me, Cas?”

“I can’t exactly trust you to take proper care of yourself. You barely remember to use the restroom when you’re absorbed in your work.”

Dean grinned. “You know me so well.”

“We  _have_ been friends for three years, Dean. I’d like to think I know you well enough by now.”

Dean chewed his bottom lip, unsure what to say next. As much as he loved being Cas’ friend, he wanted more than that. So much more. He’d been smitten since the first day they’d met, and those feelings showed no signs of going away anytime soon. He called it a crush, but that was a major understatement. He’d fallen for the guy a long time ago. Not that he’d ever have the courage to tell Cas, even if admitting it  _was_  the next logical step in their relationship.

“So,” he said, flapping his arms a little awkwardly. “You got a lotta paperwork to get through today?”

Cas shrugged. “No more than usual. I expect I’ll be receiving a fair few calls from stranded drivers throughout the day though.”

“Yeah. It’s gonna be a riot.”

“Are you sure the three of you can handle it by yourself?”

“Ah, we’ll be fine,” Dean said. What with Benny on holiday with the missus, and Claire back at University, it was just him, Jo, and Bobby at the yard today. “If things get crazy, Jo can handle the fort here. I ain’t letting Bobby drive back and forth by himself all day, not in this heat. Ellen’d kill me if anything happened to that ol’ geezer.”

Cas chuckled. It was one of Dean’s favourite sounds on the planet, not to mention how adorable the guy looked when he laughed. His eyes and nose went all crinkly, and he always ducked his head like a shy little kid. It was like he had no idea how fucking  _gorgeous_ he was.  

“Well, I better get to it then.”

“Alright,” Cas smiled. “If you get a spare moment, feel free to come visit me. I brought some of that bacon and cheese pasta you like for lunch.”

Dean’s heart skipped a beat. “Yeah, I’ll try.”

“See you soon.”

“Seya, Cas.”

A stifling heat shuddered through his body as he stepped out the door. He greeted the sun with a sigh, then made his way over to the garage. Tinny music was playing from the old radio propped up against the wall. Dean cringed at the crappy pop song and changed the station. He couldn’t be dealing with the music of today, no matter how much Sam tried to persuade him to give it a chance.

“Hey, asshole! I was listening to that.” Jo emerged from underneath a nearby vehicle, her face smeared with oil.

Dean snorted. “Voluntarily?”

“It’s not that bad.”

“Okay, Miley Cyrus.”

“What does that even mean?” she said, rolling her eyes. Her hair was smoothed back in a messy ponytail, and her plaid shirt was tucked into a dark pair of overalls. “You seen Bobby this morning?”

“He’s  _your_ stepdad, Jo.”

“I don’t live with my folks anymore, smartass.”

“Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting you’re old now.”

“Dick.”

Dean grinned. “I stopped by the office first thing, didn’t see him in there either. Must be running late.”

“Talking to Cas, by any chance?”

“Don’t start, Jo.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were thinking it,” he said, shooting her a look. He slapped a clean rag over his shoulder and slipped into a pair of light green overalls. “I don’t care how many times you bug me about it; I ain’t asking him out. It would be too weird.”

Jo scoffed. “Weird how? He clearly likes you back, man.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Uh,  _yeah_  I do. The guy makes goo-goo eyes at you constantly. Everyone can see it.”

“You and Bobby been gossiping again?”

“Just trading notes,” she smirked. “He thinks Cas is gonna make the first move. Mom says you’re both too stupid to do anything but pine after each –until one of you drops dead, at least."

“That sounds like Ellen.”

“You wanna know what I think?”

Dean threw his keys on the side and shook his head. “No, not really.”

“Too bad,” she said, crossing her arms. “I think you both know you like each other already, and all this tip-toeing around is a bunch of childish crap. I mean, don’t you think he’d make you happy, Dean? Why the hell’re you holding back from that?”

“You don’t get it, Jo. You and Victor started dating straight away. There was no transition for you guys. But me and Cas? We’ve been friends for three years. How can we go from that to something more without it being weird?”

Jo sighed. “You’ve never been  _just_  friends. I remember you babbling about the new guy with the ‘pretty blue eyes’ the first day you met. There’s been something between you from the very beginning.”

“I never called his eyes pretty.”

“You did. Several times.”

“Shaddup,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. The sweat was slick beneath his palm. “Get your ass back to work, Harvelle.”

Before she could answer, Dean’s phone starting buzzing in his pocket. It was Bobby; he was changing a tyre for a couple of newbie drivers. Tyres were prone to blowing out in the heat, which could be pretty damn scary if you weren’t used to driving. Once he’d assured Bobby that everything was fine on their end, he hung up and relayed the conversation to Jo.

“Shit,” she groaned. “Bit of an early start, huh?”

“Get used to. It’s gonna be a long day.”

As if on cue, Cas came into the garage with a cup of coffee and an apologetic smile. The coffee was for Jo, the smile was for Dean.

“Sorry,” Cas said. “I did make you a cup as well, but there’s an elderly couple in need of a tow. Overheated engine, I think. I can make you a fresh cup when you get back?”

“Nah, it’s alright. It’s a little too warm for coffee anyway.”

“I could make you some iced tea, if you’d like?”

Dean tried to resist the hopeful glint in Cas’ eyes, but there was no use. He was a complete goner. Even the knowing smirk Jo was giving him wasn’t enough to dampen the surge of warmth he felt in his chest whenever Cas looked at him like that, all pleading and drenched in concern. He was just trying to look out for his health. No harm in that, right? Saying yes to a glass of iced tea in the scorching heat had nothing to do with his feelings for Cas. At least that’s what he told himself as he got into his truck and headed down the road, his mind replaying the gummy smile Cas had given him before he’d left.  


* * *

  
He was back at the garage in less than twenty minutes; after re-filling the coolant tank, and letting the vehicle rest for a while, a tow hadn’t been necessary. The elderly woman had called him a ‘sweet boy' and given him a bottle of lukewarm water from the trunk of their car. It was hard to think of it as a wasted journey when the customers were so damn sweet. 

Cas was waiting in the garage with a glass of iced tea when Dean got back. He and Jo were talking about something, but they cut their conversation short as soon as they spotted Dean. He hated it when people did that. As if he weren’t paranoid enough as it was.

“No tow?” Jo said.

Dean shrugged. “Nah. Car just needed a little cool down.”

“As do you,” Cas pressed his lips together. “Dean, you’re dripping with sweat. Come with me.”

“I don’t need a nurse, okay? I feel fine.”

“If you don’t look after yourself properly, you may get sick. Do you want to spend the next week off work with heat stroke because you were too stubborn to accept my help?”

Jo snorted. “He’s got a point, Dean. You do look kinda gross.”

“Wow. Charming, Harvelle.”

“You know me.”

“You don’t look gross,” Cas said, touching his arm lightly. The sincerity in his voice made him want to scream. “But I do think you should sit down for a moment. Come on,” he nudged the back of Dean’s hand with his thumb – the closest they’d ever gotten to holding hands. “It’s cooler in the office. I’ll even let you sit in my swivel chair.”

Dean gulped. “Um. Okay.”

“Great,” Cas said, handing him the glass of iced tea. “Drink this.”

Dean took a sip, then followed him back to the office. He shot Jo a ‘what the fuck’ kind of look before he left, but all she did was shrug her shoulders and grin. He had no idea what she and Cas had been talking about before he showed up, but it must have had something to do with Dean and the stupid  _feelings_ he felt for Cas swirling in his gut. Why else would Cas be acting so weird?

“Sit down,” Cas said, gesturing behind the counter. The no-nonsense tone of his voice was strangely arousing. “I’ll get you some ice.”

Dean watched him disappear into the back room, then took a seat in the swivel chair. It felt kind of weird, sitting behind the counter like this. It was like he was imitating Cas. Not that he and Cas were anything alike. They were pretty much polar opposites, actually. Maybe that was one of the reasons he was so afraid to tell Cas how he really felt. What if he wasn’t smart enough for him? What if oil-streaked overalls turned him off? What if Dean asked him out, and he laughed in his face? There were too many possibilities, and most of them were bad. He wasn’t ready to take that risk just yet – probably never.

He drummed his fingers against the counter, flicking his eyes over the neat piles of paperwork. Cas kept his workspace nice and organised. This was something Dean had learned the first week they’d met, when he’d accidentally knocked the phone onto a funny angle. Cas had totally freaked out. It was supposed to be perfectly parallel with the edge of the counter, or something like that. Dean didn’t know if the guy had OCD, or if he’d just had a strict upbringing. Either way, he was careful not to touch anything now, in case his clumsy hands made a mess.

“Here you go,” Cas said softly as he re-emerged from the back room. He was holding a bag of ice in one hand, and a wet flannel in the other. He scooped a few ice cubes into the iced tea, then pressed the bag against the back of Dean’s neck. “You can use the flannel for your forehead.”

“My head feels fine,” he murmured, closing his eyes against the soothing sensation of the ice pack. He hadn’t realised how hot he’d been until now, with the cold water dribbling down his neck.

“Nonsense,” Cas draped the flannel over his head. “Think of your brain as a car engine. You have to keep it cool, or else the rest of your body will shut down.”

Dean grinned lazily. “You using car metaphors to persuade me, huh?”

“Is it working?”

“Maybe.”

“Good,” Cas smiled. He was rubbing the ice like a bar of soap over Dean’s shoulders, then across his collarbone. Dean sighed as Cas slipped a hand beneath his shirt, too blissed out to realise what was happening. The ice felt amazing against his skin – especially between his nipples, where Cas was currently exploring. He probably shouldn’t have been so calm about what was happening, but before his mind had had a chance to catch up with the situation, Cas cleared his throat and pulled away.

“Sorry,” he whispered.

Dean shook his head. “No, man. That was great. Thanks.”

“I hope I didn’t make you feel uncomfortable.”

“Course not,” he said, smiling through the awkwardness. Now that he thought about it, having Cas’ hand halfway down his shirt was kind of inappropriate. But that didn’t change the fact that it had felt fucking amazing.

Dean took a sip of iced tea, hoping to break the tension. The extra ice cubes diluted the sweetness, but Dean didn’t care. At least it was cold.

“Bobby came back while you were gone,” Cas said. He was clearly trying to change the subject. “I think he’s avoiding you. He believes that you and Ellen are conspiring against him.”

Dean huffed. “He ain’t stupid, I’ll give him that.”

“Are you worried about him?”

“I just don’t want him running around in this heat, ya know? He’s not as young as he used to be.”

“You care about him a lot.”

“Well, yeah. He’s like an uncle to me.”

Cas smiled. “You’re a good man.”

“I dunno about that.”

“You are.”

Dean turned in the chair, so Cas was practically stood between his legs. His throat rippled as their eyes met – deep blue boring into green. Had they ever been this close before? Dean didn’t think so. He would have remembered feeling this way, like he was burning from the inside out. He wanted so badly to reach out and touch him, even if it meant getting burnt. Cas was like the sun, and Dean couldn’t stop staring. He knew it was dangerous and stupid, but he just couldn’t stop.   

“You really think that?”

Cas slid the flannel down the side of Dean’s face, wiping the sweat from his upper lip. His fingers traced the laugh lines embedded in Dean’s cheeks. “I think you’re the best man I’ve ever known,” he whispered.

And then the phone started ringing.

Cas sucked in a breath and reached around Dean to answer the call. He could hardly breathe with Cas’ chest pressed against his shoulder. Up close, he smelt like vanilla and coffee beans. He was tempted to lean forward and sniff his hair, but that would be weird.

“Another break-down,” Cas said once he’d hung up the phone. “Do you want me to send Jo?”

Dean snapped himself out of his daze. “Nah. I’m good.”

“Are you sure?”

“Cas, I’m fine.”

“At least take some more water with you.”

He couldn’t help but smile as Cas filled two empty bottles under the sink and shoved them against his chest. He was trying to be forceful, but it still came off as adorable. 

“Thanks,” he said, purposely brushing his fingers against Cas’ knuckles as he took the water.

Cas swallowed thickly, then nodded. “You’re welcome.”

“I mean, for the ice and stuff as well.”

“Oh. It was nothing.”

“Right,” Dean said, shrugging slightly. “But thanks anyway.”

Cas’ lips twitched – as if he were about to say something – but instead he turned around and wrote down the location of the broken-down car. Dean was extra careful when he took the proffered scrap of paper from Cas’ hand; he didn’t want to push his luck by letting their fingers touch again.

“I’ll see you in a few,” he said.

Cas licked his lips and nodded. “I’ll make you some more iced tea.”

“Sounds great.”  


* * *

  
The rest of the day was pretty much a constant cycle of Dean driving back and forth, fixing up cars on the side of road, with Cas serving him iced tea in between runs. They didn’t do the touching thing again – though Cas  _had_  spent a few minutes wringing water from a wet flannel over Dean’s neck and shoulders. He wasn’t sure  _what_  exactly, but something had happened between them, and it felt like something big. When Cas had touched his chest, and Dean had touched his hand, something had shifted. He just didn’t know whether that was a good thing or not.

Dean purposely took his time on the drive back from his last repair. It was crawling past seven by the time he pulled into the Salvage Yard. Cas’ shift had ended at 6:30, so there was no way he’d still be around. Dean wasn’t sure why he was avoiding him, but he was. Maybe he was scared of what the change between them meant – too scared to face the aftermath just yet.

Bobby was locking up the office when Dean got out the truck.

“Hey, stranger,” he grinned. “I hear you’ve been avoiding me all day.”

“You heard right.”

“It’s been fucking crazy, huh?”

“I handled it just fine.”

Dean snorted. “Look, Bobby. This ain’t an intervention. Ellen just asked me too look out for you, make sure you didn’t do anything stupid.”

“All that worrying, it ain’t good for my health. Never mind the damn sun.”

“You’re  _married_ , man. You can’t expect her not to worry.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Bobby scratched the back of his head. “When d’you become an expert on married life?”

“I dunno,” Dean shrugged. “I just think it’s kinda nice, ya know? Having someone there for you, making sure you’re okay. I mean, it’s gotta be pretty awesome, knowing someone cares about you like that.”

Bobby frowned. “This got something to do with why Novak’s been waiting for you in the garage for the past half hour?”

“Wait, what?”

“He wouldn’t budge, says he’s got something important to tell you.”

“He’s still here? Like, right now?”

Bobby lifted an eyebrow. “Something happen between you two? ‘cause it’s about damn time, if you ask me.”

“No. Nothing happened. I mean,  _yeah_ , something happened, but nothing like  _that_.”

“You tell him how ya feel?”

“What, are you crazy?”

“Damn, son. You can be a real idjit at times,” Bobby said with a roll of his eyes. “I can’t be doing with all this ‘will they, won’t they’ crap. It’s driving me up the wall. Just get it over and done with – tell him how ya feel. It’s not like he’s gonna turn ya down, is it?”

“How do you know that?”

“Oh, c’mon. Don’t play dumb with me, boy. Anyone with half a brain can see you’re both as bad as each other.”

Dean sighed. “Yeah, I know. But that ain’t the problem.”

“You’re scared it’s gonna ruin things between you,” Bobby said. “I got an earful off Jo this morning. She told me what ya said, about being friends for too long. It’s a piss-poor excuse, son.”

“Yeah. I know that too.”

“So what on God’s green earth are you waiting for, huh?”

“I dunno,” Dean said, suddenly confused. What the hell  _was_ he waiting for? He knew Cas liked him back, no matter how different they were. They’d been dancing around each other for years. It wasn’t fun; it wasn’t exciting. It was sad and lonely, and Dean wanted more. He wanted something  _real_. And the way he felt about Cas, well… It was the realest thing he’d ever known.

“What am I doing, Bobby?”

“Wasting both our time,” he said, but he was smiling. It was pretty rare to see Bobby smile. He must have been rooting for him and Cas for a long time. “Now, get your ass in there and do what you’ve gotta do.”

Dean exhaled slowly, then licked his lips. He was sweating and shaking, and his heart was thumping like mad against his ribcage.

“Okay,” he said, nodding his head. “Yeah, okay. I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna tell him.”

Bobby slapped him on the back. “It’s about time.”

“You really think he feels the same way?”

“You know he does.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Go on. Get.”

“Right,” he shook out his hands, like he was getting ready to climb a tree. Fuck knows why. There were less obvious ways to stall a situation. “I’m just gonna walk in there, sit him down, tell him how I feel, and everything’s gonna be fine.”

“That’s great,” Bobby said, tossing him the keys to the garage. “But I ain’t standing around waiting for you. Just remember to lock up once you’re done, alright?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“It’s gonna be fine, son. Quit worrying.”

“Yeah,” Dean gave him a shaky smile. “Yeah, I know.”

He waited until Bobby’s truck had disappeared down the road before walking to the garage. The doors had been slid shut, but Dean could see the warm light dancing beneath the rusted metal. A shadow flitted back and forth, pacing. Cas must have been nervous too. For some reason, that filled him with relief. Did that make him an asshole? Probably. He was generally a bit of dick, but Cas still liked him.  _Cas liked him_. That’s all he had to focus on right now. Nothing else mattered.

Cas was squeezing his chin and staring down at his feet when Dean opened the door. He was a wreck, but so was Dean. This really  _was_ a huge moment. It was only now dawning on him how much this could change both of their lives. Cas could easily be the love of his life. It was something Dean had considered on more than one occasion.

“Hey,” he said, his voice a rasp.

Cas’ throat bobbed up and down. “Hello, Dean.”

“You’ve been waiting for me?”

“I need to talk to you.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

“I think we may be on the same page,” Cas said, wringing his hands together. “At least, I  _hope_ we are.”

Dean nodded. “I think we are.”

“I talked to Jo.”

“I noticed.”

“She told me everything. About you, and the way you feel. She even told me how  _I_ feel.”

Dean chuckled. “Yeah. That sure sounds like Jo.”

“She was right about everything.”

“Yeah.”

“I think I already knew,” Cas said. He seemed embarrassed, like he was only just realising how ridiculous they’d both been these past three years. “I wanted you from the very beginning. But something was holding me back. I’m not sure what or why, but… Something about us seemed impossible. Out of my reach.”

Dean took a step closer. “I get what you mean. All of it, Cas. I feel the exact same way.”

“I don’t understand. Why have we been so obtuse?”

“I have no fucking clue.”

“I don’t know what I was afraid of.”

“Rejection?” Dean offered.

Cas shook his head, his brow furrowed. “No. No, that never worried me. I never doubted your feelings for me. Maybe  _that’s_ what scared me the most.”

“What d’you mean?”

“It’s all so real,” Cas whispered. They were standing only inches apart now, their hands sliding across the wall to find each other. “The way I feel about you, Dean. The way you feel about me. It’s ground-breaking. I never knew it could feel like this.”

Dean swallowed roughly. Their fingers were touching. He could feel Cas’ pulse beating against his wrist.

“Real’s good, right?”

Cas smiled. “In this case, I think so. Yes.”

“I like real. I like  _you_.”

“I like you too, Dean.”

“That’s a good start,” he said, giving Cas a lopsided smile. “But what comes next?”

Cas threaded their fingers together and squeezed Dean’s hand. He was wearing one of his soft, barely-there smiles – the kind that twinkled in his eyes. Dean liked it when Cas smiled at him with his eyes. It felt like they were speaking in code, like only Dean was worthy of these secret, undercover smiles. Cas made him feel noticed and  _wanted_. It was kind of scary, but also pretty exhilarating.

“You could help me finish this cheese and bacon pasta,” Cas said, his voice wobbling slightly. “You never got a chance to sit down and eat today. We could go back to my house, talk this through.” His smile stretched into a grin. “I have air conditioning.”

Dean laughed. “You drive a hard bargain.”

“I really want you to say yes.”

“Well, today’s your lucky day then.”

“You want to come over?”

“I wanna be with you,” he said, bringing Cas’ hand to his lips. His skin was soft and smooth, his fingers unnaturally long. Dean could spend hours kissing his hands like this – creepy or not. “I just wanna follow you everywhere. Not like a fricking  _stalker_ , just… I wanna be a part of your life. Like, a permanent fixture. What’re your thoughts?”

Cas’ smile was blinding. “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea.”

“Yeah?”

“I want to be a part of your life too.”

“Well, you’re pretty much always in my head. If that counts.”

Cas responded by pressing their lips together. His mouth was warm and dry, and he tasted like iced tea with lemon. Dean wrapped an arm around his waist and dragged him forward, his other hand fisting in the back of Cas’ hair. Their lips melted together, and it felt so right. Dean had to bite back a whimper when Cas cupped one side of his face and started brushing his thumb up and down his cheek. It was so, so good. There were tears in his eyes when Cas pulled away.

“Shh,” Cas petted his face, comforting him. “I’m here.”

Dean sniffed. “I’m sorry.  _Fuck_.”

“It’s okay.”

“I, I don’t know why I’m crying. I don’t usually do that. I mean, I’ve got my shit together. I’m not one of those weird crying-after-sex kinda guys.”

Cas laughed. “I believe you.”

“I guess it’s just a lot, ya know? I’ve wanted this for so damn long.”

“I know.”

Dean butted his head against Cas’ hand, letting his eyes slip closed. “You know I’m falling in love with you, right? I might’ve already fallen. Does that freak you out?”

“Not at all,” Cas’ voice was gentle, but somehow giddy. It was adorable. “I fell for you a long, long time ago.”

“Three years ain’t that long.”

“I think I loved you before we even met.”

“How does that work?”

“It just does,” Cas shrugged, tilting his head to rub their noses together. “I’ve spent my whole life waiting for you, Dean Winchester.”

Hearing his full name on Cas’ lips made him shiver. It was like Cas was casting a spell, as if he were trying to wish all of Dean’s insecurities away with two simple words. And it almost worked. The way Cas said it, his voice low and sure, made him feel special. His name was a piece of magic on the tip of Cas’ tongue. He was drawn to the sound, to the feel of Cas’ lips… He was falling hard and fast, and it felt amazing.

“Can’t believe we waited so long,” Dean said, mouthing softly against Cas’ jaw. He couldn’t stop touching and tasting him. “This feels so  _right_ , ya know?”

“Like we were meant to be?”

Dean grinned. “Yeah.”

“It does,” Cas held Dean’s face between his hands and kissed the spot between his eyes. “Come home with me, Dean. Please.”

“Okay.”

“Are you sure?”

Dean reached for his hand and squeezed it. “Yeah, Cas. I’m sure.”  


* * *

**  
The Next Day**

“So,” Jo said, hopping onto the hood of Bobby’s truck. The four of them were standing out in the sun after another long day, drinking beer and talking about nothing in particular. Until now. “Who made the first move?”

Cas and Dean shared a look, both of them smiling like idiots. Dean was sat next to Jo, and Cas was stood between his legs.

“It was Cas,” Dean said, hooking his chin over the top of his boyfriend’s head. “Although, in all fairness, I  _was_ on my way to tell him anyway.”

Cas twisted his head around. “You were?”

“Tell him, Bobby.”

“It’s true,” Bobby said, pointing his beer at Dean. “Boy was a bag of jelly when I left him.”

“Oh, c’mon. I wasn’t  _that_ bad.”

Bobby shook his head, not saying another word.

“You could’ve sped things up a bit,” Jo said, punching him in the arm. “We had a bet on who would make the first move, and I was rooting for you!”  

“Then why d’you talk to Cas?”

“I talked to  _you_  first.”

“That logic is flawed,” he said, rapping his knuckles against Jo’s forehead. “You’ve had that same conversation with me every day for three years. How the hell was I supposed to know this time was different?”

“It wasn’t,” she scoffed. “The bet’s been going on for three years.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“Nope. We knew you guys would end up together from the very beginning.”

Cas laughed, and Dean pulled him closer. “Can you believe this?” he said, his cheek pressed against Cas’ temple. “Three fucking years, man. Why’d it take us so long to catch up?”

“I don't know," Cas shrugged. "And quite frankly, I don't care." When he tipped his head back, Dean could feel his smile curving against his chin. It was an awkward angle, but he somehow managed to kiss the tip of Cas’ nose. And when it crinkled beneath his lips, Dean could tell that Cas was smiling one of those rare, gummy smiles of his. "At least I have you now."


End file.
